European parliament votes on GMO legislations

a. Thresholds for adventitious or technically unavoidable contamination

At first reading, the EP opposed the idea of a threshold for unauthorised genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which had received positive scientific risk assessments.

The Council proposes a three-year transitional provision which:

 imposes a limit of 0.5%. If necessary, this level may be reduced by means of the committee procedure, particularly for GMOs sold direct to the final consumer. After the transitional period, the ‘zero tolerance’ which Parliament called for would apply.

b. Limit values for labelling

At first reading, the EP called for a limit value for labelling of 0.5%, but only for food/feed produced from GMOs. In the case of living GMOs, the EP called for ‘zero tolerance’. The Council has set a limit of 0.9% above which food containing GMO material whose presence is adventitious or technically unavoidable would have to be labelled accordingly. Particularly in the case of food or feed which contains or consists of GMOs (the latter meaning living GMOs), lower limits may be set under the committee procedure.

c. Coexistence

The principal aim of the proposed labelling of genetically modified food and feed is to ensure that consumers have freedom of choice. The separation of genetically modified food and feed from that which is not GM is a basic precondition for this.

d. Seed

Unlike the Commission proposal, the common position explicitly states that the Regulation does not only apply to food and feed. The marketing of transgenic plants for use as food and feed may also be authorised. However, not all provisions of the common position allow for this broad scope. It needs to be ensured, in particular, that food and feed which can also be used as seed is marketed only if it has been authorised for all these uses. 

e. Authorisation procedure

The EP’s position at first reading has to some extent been taken into account, and the common position provides for greater participation by Member States in the risk assessment and authorisation procedure. The application is to be sent to the national competent authority of a